Letters

LETTER: Housing Production — A Review of Small, but Industrious Watertown (Past, Present and Future)

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us. – Winston Churchill

This is a follow-up to “Where is your Neighborhood Going? (Parts One and Two)”

As I read the responses to the above letters in Watertown News, I decided that maybe an overview of recent housing development in Watertown was in order. So here goes. Watertown’s Bona Fides

Watertown has proven again and again that we are a thoughtful, generous community.

Letters

LETTER: Do You Know Where Your Neighborhood is Going? (Part 2)

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Looking at Trends

Looking back on the past few years, I see a trend:

1 – The Watertown Square Planning process was a plan to rezone our city core. The MBTA state Law that mandated zoning for 1701 new housing units was a major part of this process, and yet a plan for 1,701 didn’t even reach our councilors’ desks, not to mention the community. After community input for 1,701 units, the City came back with a plan for 6,320 units and effectively defined Watertown Square as an area that extended west on Main to Lexington Street and up Galen, almost to the Mass Pike. The City ultimately “settled” for a number just over 3,000 (3,133) units. The response from our City government when this bait and switch was pointed out?

Letters

LETTER: Do You Know Where Your Neighborhood is Going?

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Part One: Preserving Our Neighborhoods

“Preserving neighborhood character involves balancing tradition with growth through strategieslike historic designation, context-sensitive zoning (scale and setbacks), protecting green spaces, community engagement, and rehabilitation of existing buildings, all while fostering a sense of place, often focusing on a neighborhood’s unique look, feel, and activities, rather than just enforcing uniformity, to maintain stability and appeal.”

The above AI definition of preserving neighborhood character is a far cry from the standard, knee-jerk response to the phrase “preserving a neighborhood’s character” as a racist construct. (See also this AI definition: The phrase “preserving neighborhood character” has a complex history rooted in racially exclusionary policies [often referred to as redlining] that were used to maintain segregation in housing in the United States. While seemingly neutral today, the language was historically used as a coded way to prevent people of color from moving into predominantly white areas”). Can it be used for these purposes? Sure.

Business

Chamber’s Real Estate Forum Focuses on What’s Next in the Fight for Housing

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The Charles River Regional Chamber will host the Annual Real Estate Forum: What’s next in the fight for housing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 9-11:30 a.m. at UMass Amherst Charles River Campus, Newton (formerly Mount Ida). See the announcement from the Chamber below. When the MBTA Communities Act became law in 2021, it marked the most significant zoning reform in Massachusetts in decades — opening the door to new housing production across eastern Massachusetts. But no one believed it would solve the housing crisis on its own.Four years later, the pressure hasn’t eased.

Development

ZBA Has Suggestions for Residential Project on Water Street, Gets Update on 104 Main St. Project

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An illustration of the proposed residential project at 108 Water St. (Courtesy of Eaglebrook Capital). The Zoning Board of Appeals gave plenty of input on the proposed 52-unit residential project proposed for Water Street, but continued the hearing until December so that designers could make some adjustments to the plans. The board also granted a requested change for the project at 104 Main St., and got an update on the building going up across from the Watertown Library. 108 Water St.

Development

Two Multistory Residential Projects Proposed in New Watertown Square Zoning

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An illustration of the proposed residential building at 108 Water St. (WSQ Development LLC)

Two residential projects have been proposed in Watertown, south of the Charles River and another in a vacant site on Mt. Auburn Street. The projects are among the first that would be built the new Watertown Square Zoning districts created so the City would comply with the MBTA Communities Law. The first project in the new zones was a five-unit residential building at 75 Spring St., which is located in the WSQ1 zoning, which allows 3+ story (four stories with a stepped back fourth story) projects.

Letters

LETTER: Community Preservation Committee Should Prioritize Senior & Special Needs Housing

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Dear Editor,

The recording of the Annual Public CPC Meeting is not up. I had submitted an email since I could not attend. I thank those on the board who took the time to engage with it. I am part of Housing for All Watertown (HAW), and it is no secret that I am pro dentistry and diversity. However, the email (see below) was written from the lens of someone who deeply cares about persons with special needs and having family age in place with others. 

The call for CPC funds to be allocated to more housing is not new to the CPC board, and it predates the formation of HAW. There are 4 and half pages on housing needs per the board’s 2022 Annual Year-End Report.  https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/0e2ac721-212a-4561-b2a6-6abdd04c8ebc?cache=1800

As I noted in my email, the Affordable Housing Trust has made the call for more Senior and Special Needs housing. We live in a time when loneliness and lack of community is a scourge on society. Many senior citizens cannot afford to move into a communal residence, nor can their houses accommodate an extended family situation. Who is left to tend to these senior citizens?  Their neighbors, if available and willing. The disabilities community is in worse shape in terms of loneliness and housing. The Commonwealth has great services and people from all over the nation come here for those services. With The Perkins School and other facilities, Watertown, in particular, has been a community that supports persons with disabilities.

Around Town

LETTER: Thoughts on Watertown’s Housing Production Goals

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Dear Editor,

Wednesday evening, May 7th  the Eye on Watertown Podcast had the pleasure to have as our guests Josh Rosmarin and Jacky van Leeuwen, Members of the Steering Committee of Housing For All Watertown. 

Housing for All Watertown’s mission is to build a broad coalition of residents to advance local policies and projects in order to expand housing options. My understanding is their  focus is on finding solutions to current housing challenges for both current and future community members. Advance in the mission statement for Housing for All Watertown is used in the context of pushing forward policies and projects that expand housing options. The group has also been involved in efforts to combat ethnic – and income-based discrimination in Watertown’s housing market. We found that Expanding Affordable Housing has been in the forefront of their efforts and has pushed for more affordable housing units as part of the MBTA Communities Act Plan which aims to increase housing near transit hubs. The Housing for All Watertown’s group and its approach has been deemed by many as one of the most ambitious housing advocates in the state.